What Hurts The Most
by Galaxi
Summary: Centers around Kataang with angst, hurt, and comfort. Right after the Ember Island Players, Katara decides how she feels about Aang. Kind of fluffy yet dark. Too long to be one-shot, yet too short for a trilogy. NOW COMPLETE! R&R!
1. Inner Peace

**This is my first fanfic on this website, and I really hope you enjoy reading it. …And reviewing it, if you have time, please. Reviews are excellent.**

**It isn't exactly from any one person's perspective… it kind of switches back and forth. And it's not really fluffy either, at least not in this chapter. YESS! I'm writing a story with CHAPTERS! I'm so excited for what it turns out to be, because I do not know myself. **

**This is what I wished happened right after 'The Ember Island Players.' And I do mean **_**right**_** after, the very night they come back from the play. When I say I **_**wished**_**, I mean it is not coherent nor does it link to the episode after 'The Ember Island Players' in any way whatsoever.**

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I only own the story line and idea for this fanfiction.**_

**Enjoy! ^^ **

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Chapter One

Aang sighed as he walked down the small hill towards the beach. The night sky was beautifully laid out above and in front of him, with seemingly miniscule stars glistening from every point in the sky. He nearly tripped over the shrubs and bushes that his feet were currently surrounded by, for he was watching the night sky more than he was watching where he was going.

This was good for him, right now. It was good for him not to think too much about anything and let the peaceful thoughts dominate over the more horrible ones.

His mind was distracted, though, and far away from Ember Island where he was currently forced to reside in. His thoughts were calm and reassuring—at the moment—but, as he tried to focus on walking, he couldn't help but let his thoughts zoom elsewhere, to what Katara might be thinking right now and what she was doing. He quickly plugged his ears and nose—which was quite hard to do, at the same time, actually—and blew out hard threw his mouth in an attempt to drown out his own thoughts. He'd worried far too much about Katara for the past few days; it was going to ruin him by the end of the week if he kept it up. Using loud Airbending to stop thinking about it seemed rather ridiculous, and pathetic. Aang wanted to forget all about it. He _should_ be able to forget all about it.

Yet he couldn't.

Then again, what happened earlier that night _had_ renewed his previous suspicions about how he wished Katara didn't feel about him. That vital fact certainly didn't touch any peaceful shores.

He sighed again as his bare feet touched the heartbreakingly smooth sand—as though his heart weren't broken in the first place—and reveled in its coldness. Aang had always thought the Fire Nation was supposed to be hot and humid, but apparently the temperature changed drastically during the night. The sand soothed him as he walked farther out towards the beachfront.

He'd stubbornly refused to let his Air Nomad instincts take over and simply _fly_ down to the beach on his glider; Aang didn't know why, but he had a feeling _that_ kind of approach would not 'leave his mind at peace', as the monks called it. Even as he thought about how exhilarating the wind in his face would feel, even as he knew his mind would be detached from worldly concerns as he flew through the air . . . walking seemed to have more of the right effect.

Dropping down harshly on the now wet sand close to the ocean, Aang folded his legs into his usual meditating position, with both his legs overlapping the other. He thought wryly how good it was to be genetically flexible at times like these as he forced his legs farther over one another into a position that would be altogether impossible for a non-bender to hold. He was facing towards the navy blue ocean, whose waves crashed against one another violently. He didn't so much as flinch as a fresh wave of mist hit in him the face and chest; he thought vaguely how very strange it was that the water was actually warm. _Then again, nearly _everything_ in the Fire Nation is at least warm, _he spat to himself in his mind.

Slowly closing his eyes and clasping his fingers together as though he were worshipping or praying, Aang allowed his mind to find inner peace at the far reaches of the Universe.

Then he slowly gained unconsciousness.

-x-

Katara tossed and turned restlessly in her bed. She knew it was very late at night—early in the morning, actually—yet she could not find enough inner peace in herself to even close her eyes. She nearly laughed aloud as she found herself chanting in her head, _inner peace, inner peace, inner peace . . ._

But laughing was the _last_ thing she felt like doing at the moment. How could anyone find humor in the fact that they had just broken someone's—a best friend's—heart? Not only had she broken it; she was sure she had ripped it fully out of his chest and burned it to a crisp with her harsh words, despite the fact that she was a _Water_bender. . . .That wasn't the worst part, though. The worst part was knowing that he thought what she had said was true.

_But it _wasn't_ true! How could he not see that!? How could he take my words and put them right next to his heart. . . _She hadn't meant it to sound as though it was his fault. _Proves just how selfish I am, _she thought bitterly.

She bit down hard on her bottom lip as she realized this_ was _her fault. If she had just kissed him back, if she hadn't even _mentioned _the word 'confused'. . . maybe things would be better for both of them right now, in more ways than one. She was just vaguely aware of the fact that her lips were _really _starting to hurt underneath the force of her teeth; she was too caught up in _mental _hurt to notice any _physical _hurt. She could've had her leg chopped off at that moment and it would still not affect her as badly as her situation with Aang did.

When her teeth started to break skin, she quickly jolted back to reality, finally lifting her teeth from their painful embedment in her bottom lip. "Ow." The sound of her quiet, pained voice startled her.

She wiped across her lip swiftly with the sleeve of her bed gown and was fairly unsurprised as she looked at it to find that it was, indeed, stained with the red crimson liquid that now flowed freely from her mouth. "Oh, great," Katara sighed sarcastically as she slowly made her way to the bathroom to wash up.

Walking down the dark and drafty hallway, she couldn't help but think of a time when everything was so much . . . _brighter_.

She nearly got pulled into a flashback memory of times when their gang was small, when Suki and Toph hadn't yet joined the group. When it was only her, Aang, and her pigheaded brother . . . and they were all so careless. This was all before they all realized it was Aang's destiny to learn to bend all four elements, defeat the Firelord, and restore balance to the world. Before there were complications of—and she hardly let herself think the words—a _romantic_ relationship with her best friend in the whole world. Thinking back, she realized just how oblivious she was all those many months they were together. How could she have not noticed that Aang was in _love_ with her? Even when Sokka had hinted it and teased him about it so many times, she had thought it was just Sokka being Sokka. After all, he'd teased Aang countless times on their journey, and it never meant anything in the end.

Not counting the time when he just so happened to be correct.

By now she had reached the bathroom, although she nearly stumbled over her own feet while walking through the doorway. This was very uncharacteristic for Katara, what, with possibly being the greatest Waterbender in the world who was required to master coordination and balance. She looked in the mirror and gasped when she saw her reflection.

Her face was sallow and paler than usual, except for around the eyes where it was blotched, red, and looked swollen. Her eyes themselves were bloodshot and looked like she hadn't slept for days. Her bottom eyelids were a color of purple, blue, and black all mixed together to make a horrible image, adding to the effect of lack of sleep. How had this happened to her? She was well-rested since last night and didn't feel tired at all. It _could_ have been because she was worried sick over Aang and it was impossible for her to sleep anyways, but she quickly diminished that thought, knowing she'd just get more upset if it were true.

Katara continued on with soaking a warm wash cloth and putting pressure on her bottom lip to reduce bleeding. She refused to look at her reflection to see if it really had stopped bleeding, in fear of seeing the monstrous condition of her face again. Rinsing the cloth, though, she swiftly wiped across her face, in an attempt to look like a normal human being again. With one swift glance at the mirror, she knew it'd be impossible to wipe away the blotches and shadows under her eyes. _Let time and rest take care of that, _she thought. Rinsing the cloth and hanging it on the rack to dry, she slowly made her way down the hall again.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep even if she tried, she began to walk back and forth down the nearly black hallway, contemplating several things over in her head.

"K-Katara? Wha-What are you"—yawn—"doing up this . . . late?" Katara was so enveloped in her thoughts; she hadn't heard Sokka's door open.

Spinning around to face him she let out a startled yelp. "Oh!" Sokka raised an eyebrow; Katara could only see it because he was holding a small torch in his hand that dimly lit up the hallway with its faint glow. She realized he was still in his bed clothes, had bags under his eyes, and had a very bad case of bed-head. She couldn't help but laugh inwardly at that part. "I-I . . . well, I dunno. I couldn't sleep, so . . . I just decided to . . . y'know, walk around a bit, stretch my legs." At this, Sokka's eyebrow only rose higher. Katara's heart started to beat furiously out of nervousness, and the back of her neck began to sweat. How could she explain the real reason of why she was out of bed?

"Oh, yeah. You can't sleep, so you decide to walk around in a drafty hallway in the middle of the night, and you're"—he raised one of his hands to quote—"_stretching your legs_." His voice was marred with heavy sarcasm, and Katara couldn't help but flinch.

"Yes—exactly that," Katara lied, biting her tongue.

Sokka scoffed. "As amusing as your lying is, I'd like you to tell me the _actual_ reason of why you're walking around outside my bedroom."

This was exactly what Katara wished he hadn't said, but she attempted to cleverly find a way around it anyway. "Well, not everyone can get what they'd like, now, can they, Sokka?" and she started swiftly walking away from him, only to have a hand grasp her shoulder—she winced at his touch—stopping her in her tracks. Looking around, she saw his face wasn't demanding or amused; just a pure look a concern that was obviously for her. Katara sighed, knowing she'd have to tell him the truth now.

"Sokka," she began, not knowing how to talk about boys with her own brother, "I've kind of . . . ran into a bit of a . . . problem, with Aang lately."

To her immense surprise, he merely nodded, as though he understood. "I had a feeling there was something up between you guys." He paused, saw the expression on her face—though Katara had no idea what it was herself—and started again. "Do you wanna sit down and talk about it?"

Katara had an acute awareness that Sokka was someone she could trust with this. He was her brother, after all, and he_ was _supposed to be watching out for her, whether it be physically or emotionally. She felt as though she'd burst into tears any second, but she knew that would instantly alarm him, and he'd probably do something to Aang that would make Katara regret she'd started to cry.

"Yes," she said simply, forcing her voice not to betray her feelings, but it just ended up sounding monotone.

Katara realized Sokka hadn't let go of her shoulder, and as they started to walk out to the balcony to face the night sky, he kept his hand in place. It was oddly soothing, having her brother to comfort her with a simple touch such as a shoulder grasp. She realized that this was something she could easily vent to him as they sat down on the railing leading to some stairs.

"So . . . a problem with Aang, huh?" he began slowly, sounding hesitant. "Sounds big."

_Bigger than you'll ever know, _Katara thought with a pang of sadness. "Yeah. I guess you could say that." Katara didn't start talking again immediately after that.

". . . Well, I know I could be doing much better things than sitting out here in the middle of the night with my sister, saying nothing." He was obviously gesturing for her to continue.

Katara sighed tremendously before speaking. "Sokka . . . at that stupid play earlier today, I talked with him about our . . ." She couldn't think of the right word. ". . . _feelings,_ for each other, I mean," she finished lamely. Out of nervous habit, she began to bite her bottom lip again, completely oblivious to the unhealed wound.

Sokka raised his eyebrows again. "And?" he pressed. "How does that explain why you're acting so jittery?"

"Well . . . something he said kind of caught me off-guard."

"Must I know what that something is?" he questioned impatiently.

"I suppose not," Katara admitted. "But the point is, I reacted so . . . _unnecessary_, and I really hurt him on the inside." _That's an understatement_, she thought as though poison ivy were clinging to her throat. "I'm not sure if I should make it up to him, or how I should make it up to him, or what to do at all."

Sokka heard the indecisiveness and pain in her voice, and immediately knew this was serious. "I'm usually not the one who would listen to your boy problems," Sokka said, echoing her earlier thoughts, "but with Aang, I'll have to make an exception." He seemed to be deep in thought, and even started to rub his chin wisely for the effect.

"Well, one thing's for sure," he said suddenly, sticking his finger in the air as though he had just made an amazing discovery.

"What's that?" Katara replied, startled.

"You'll have to do something, at least."

"Oh, well that's nice to know." She rolled her eyes, dipping her voice deep in sarcasm. "I would have never thought of that on my own, Sokka. Thank you so much."

"Hey, I'm just a guy trying to help," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I might have to know exactly what Aang said to you in order for me to think of what you should really do."

This hit an amazing nerve in Katara's gut, and she was instantly reluctant. "Well—the thing is, Sokka, it's a bit personal. I don't know how to tell you."

He stared at her as though she were mentally competent. "Look, Katara, do you want me to help you, or not?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then for the love of the Watertribe, _please_ tell me what it is Aang said."

"Alright." Katara tried to find a way she could let this off easy for Sokka. "He kind of told me how he really felt about me, and well . . . h-he said, um—"

"He said that he loves you, didn't he?" Sokka interrupted. Katara gawked at him as though he had suddenly turned into a platypusbear before her very eyes.

"H-How in the world did you know that, Sokka?" she breathed. Then she turned angry. "You weren't spying on us, were you!?"

"No, Katara!" he replied, surprised by her reaction. "No offense or anything, but you've been incredibly unobservant for the past year. Almost from the moment we met Aang, I knew he liked you."

Katara sighed, looking at her feet. "I know. When I look back on that moment, I actually do realize how blind I've been." She couldn't help but let a single tear drop when she said her next words. "And I said that I was _confused_, that I didn't know if we should be together or not. I made a huge mistake, and now he's so upset, and I—well, I don't know what I should—how I . . ." She couldn't continue, for the tears were flowing freely now, pooling up out of her tear ducts and onto her lap. They seemed like pools of blood to her, raining from her eyes because she was in such deep, emotional pain.

Instinctively, Sokka stood up, and sat back down right next to Katara, hugging her close with one arm, while she continued to cry noiselessly. After a few minutes of this, he whispered soothingly in her ear. "Katara. I know you will make the right decision with this." Katara inclined her face a fraction of an inch towards her brother. "But there's just one thing you have to decide before you do." He paused, making sure he had her attention. Katara sobbed quieter now for his sake, while he breathed his next words that seemed to reluctantly spill out of his mouth.

"Now you have to decide how you feel about him."

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**That's the end of the first chapter. Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to review, so that I'll be inspired to write the next chapter and have it in here by next week or sooner. **


	2. Realization

**Behold, the 2****nd**** chapter to my somewhat anticipated chaptered fanfiction, **_**What Hurts The Most, **_**in which you will read more of Aang's side of the story.**

**Sorry it took forever to upload; I do have a hectic life like most of you and I could only squeeze in writing this story every once in a while.**

**Hopefully you'll read, review, and do whatever else that might make me feel motivated to finishing this story.**

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I only own the story line and idea for this fanfiction.**_

**Enjoy! ^^**

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Chapter Two: Realization

A peculiar silence yelled in Aang's ears as he walked through the swaying grasslands. The light wind made no sound whatsoever, not the tiniest hint that the air around him was moving; he only knew because the meadow around him shivered slightly with each new gust of wind. He knew where he was, yet at the same time he had no clue. The Spirit World, one of the strangest places off of earth. It technically didn't really exist. It seemed to him like fictional realm that only Spirits and Avatars such as himself could visit. Whenever Aang found himself in it, he felt utterly lost, but at the same time felt as though he was exactly where he needed to be. He always had the queerest feeling when he found himself there.

This time was no accident, like few other times had been. Or was it only once? Well, it didn't matter to Aang right now—he had much more important things to worry about.

He did not expect to find much help with his problem here. There wasn't anyone or anything to talk to but Spirits that gave him wisdom he already knew. Even as he walked, mythical creatures were flying above him in the air, walking far out on the horizon where he could barely make them out to be Spirits, and swimming in the occasional water source that passed Aang by. He shivered as a fresh wave of wind blew around his body.

He figured he'd been walking for days—or it could have been minutes—it was nearly impossible to tell, and that bothered Aang. He wanted to get back by sunrise so his friends—no, his _family_—wouldn't get worried. It was all for a good cause, though, not just because he was annoyed and wanted to run away from his regular life for some time. No, this was definitely necessary so he could renew his relationship with Katara, and possibly have it be even stronger than before. Aang's stomach felt queasy as he thought about that. He felt positive Katara didn't like him the way he liked her; what if she still refused even when she wasn't confused?

Suddenly, the subtle wind stopped. Aang looked up to see that an enormous cloud had blocked out the light source, whatever it was. He hadn't noticed a sun in the sky. He probably should have been afraid, because the 'cloud' began to descend upon him; strangely enough, though, he wasn't. He patiently waited until it was close enough for him to grasp. When it became so, he cautiously raised his arm in an attempt to touch it. Just as his hand was within a centimeter of its perimeter, suddenly and furiously the wind around him started up again, and he realized it was because of the cloud. In a swirl of air, it instantly evaporated, and what took its place was a person, hovering above Aang's head.

Avatar Roku.

Aang gasped quietly, although he had no reason to be surprised; Roku visited him often. Quickly, Aang bowed his head, putting his knuckles to his palm of his other hand, and raised his hands to his chest, a gesture of respect. Peeking up again, he saw that Roku was now on the ground in front of him, smiling warmly. This was obviously an invitation to begin the venting process Aang had planned out with whoever he met in the Spirit World.

"Avatar Roku," he breathed, his voice low and his hands still clasped together. He bowed once more when he mentioned the past Avatar's name. "I've come across a problem and I was hopeful you might be able to give me wisdom."

Roku simply nodded once, his smile never leaving his face. "There's no doubt I'll be able to give you wisdom." His voice illustrated the exact sentence he had just spoken—he did sound wise beyond anything Aang had ever heard. "But I suppose it depends on what you are wanting to know," he continued.

In one swift wave of his hand, the quiet wind that was building up ceased immediately, forcing quiet to hang in the air.

"Sit, and please tell me of your troubles, Aang."

Aang did just that, with his legs crossed and his arms at his sides. He'd always liked the feel of grass underneath him, and this made it much easier for Aang to think about what he was about to say.

He immediately began ranting about his trouble with Katara, the girl he loved. He told Roku every detail of the previous night, even the part when he leaned in and pecked her on the lips. Of course he realized that was a very stupid thing to do at that moment, but it was impossible to resist kissing her when she was beautiful, sad, and—most importantly—closing her eyes. Roku's eyebrows narrowed in thought throughout the story, and he didn't interrupt once.

When Aang had finished, he exhaled tremendously, for he hadn't taken one breath through the five or more minutes he'd been speaking. It was good to be an Airbender at a breath holding contest, he realized vaguely.

Avatar Roku didn't say anything in first, for he was obviously still deep in thought. This surprised Aang because he had suspected an answer would come immediately; Roku seemed like the kind of person who would know the solution to a question or problem before the person he was helping had even finished. Aang waited patiently, though, knowing it would pay off. Wisdom coming from an old and experienced Avatar had to be good if contemplated deeply.

After more than thirty seconds, Roku finally spoke, his voice confident. "Love is hard when you are young, as I said before. Do you remember, young Avatar?"

Aang nodded. "Yeah, then I told you that you didn't have to tell me twice." He sighed and looked at the ground.

Aang noticed the corners of Roku's mouth lifted slightly. "I might not have known what you meant by that back then, for I cannot read your mind, but it was even more serious than I thought." Aang didn't look up. "This is a girl you love more than anyone in the whole world." His voice wasn't an assumption, just a matter of fact. At this, though, Aang glanced up quickly, and nodded. His eyes were full of sorrow.

"You have no idea," he muttered.

"Oh, I think I do," Roku replied, his voice comforting. "I went through a similar stage once in my life. . . as you know, I'm sure. I fell deeply in love with a girl, and thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever met. I struggled to get her to notice me; in the end, though, it definitely paid off." He smiled wider, reminiscing his young life.

"But I told Katara how I felt about her, and it blew up in my face!" Aang insisted, not seeing how what Roku was saying was supposed to be helping him at all.

"I know you might have come here for a great deal of advice," Roku murmured slowly. The tone of his voice made Aang know he wouldn't get what he came here for. Confirming Aang's fears, Roku continued, "but I'm afraid the only advice I can give you as of right now is to keep trying. I do not think that Katara does not love you; from what I heard, she simply fears for your safety and wants you unharmed."

Aang's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

But, as it always seemed to happen, Roku's personage began to fade, only leaving four words to ring heavily in the air after he had disappeared: "Act wisely, Avatar Aang."

Aang inwardly growled in frustration. It always happened, just like this; Roku spoke words that never made any sense to Aang at first, then he vanished, leaving Aang to ponder hopelessly. He stood up, almost forgetting he couldn't Airbend and nearly falling to the ground. Although it wouldn't make any difference, he looked around frantically, holding on to the slight possibility that Roku might still be there. His looking, of course, was in vain.

Aang sighed loudly, and the invisible sun blared once more, only to dim as he realized his visit to the Spirit World was over. He was slowly being pulled back to the real world, where his body would be waiting, where Ember Island would be waiting.

Where Katara would be waiting.

-x-

_A surprised gasp escaped Katara's throat before Aang caught her mouth in his. His lips moved strangely under hers, slightly parted; it was a feeling of wanting, of need, of urgency . . . of pain. _

_Part of her knew she was dreaming, that there was no point to kiss back. The other part knew she might not get another chance like this, not even in her dreams, and she was desperate enough for the feeling of Aang's lips under hers that there wasn't even a question of if she should kiss back or not. _

_Strangely enough, the impact on her lips became less severe. His lips moved much more slowly, much more softly, much more . . . loving. Katara was surprised as she felt warm liquid gliding against her cheek, and she thought she'd let tears escape her eyes. But as she reluctantly allowed her mouth to break away from his to get a better look at him, she realized he was the one with tears glistening over his cheeks. What had she done wrong? The moment was so perfect, yet so unusual . . . and something about it caused Aang to cry. She looked on in horror as his body shook with each heavy sob that seemed to be killing him. She wanted to open her mouth to say something, to try and comfort him—but try as she did; her lips seemed to be glued in place. She wanted to take him into her arms, to embrace him—but as was the case with her lips, she could not get her arms away from her sides._

_Then, as though darkness itself were grabbing him into its horrible clutches, Aang's personage slowly began to fade. Katara willed herself to scream his name, to reach her arms out and grab him before he vanished completely, but her arms and lips were still frozen in place. She could not move one step to attempt and grab him before he disappeared. _

_It was only when obscurity finally claimed Aang as its prisoner that her mouth opened into a caterwauling scream._

"_AANG!_"

The words echoed through the room and out through the open window. Katara's head hit something hard as her upper body flew up instinctively. _Why am I hurting myself so much lately? _she thought numbly as she rubbed the tender place where the bed post had struck her. She groaned as she felt a small bump.

Then Katara realized something.

She'd yelled Aang's name so loudly it hurt her own ears. The small house they were temporarily residing in was not exactly what you'd call big, and her friends' rooms were terribly close together; more importantly, Aang's was just down a turn in the hallway. There was no way that he couldn't have heard her shout.

Frantically, she jumped up from her bed and slipped into her regular outfit she'd worn for the past few days. She recoiled as she took a whiff of the fabric; it stunk horribly. For something to do today, she would travel down to the beach and try and get rid of the smell. Salt water probably wasn't the best cleanser, but it was better than nothing.

Before walking out her door, she patiently waited for someone to bust through the door and ask why the heck she'd yelled Aang's named so loudly. Or why she'd yelled Aang's name at _all_.

Sure enough, it was but five seconds later that Toph nearly kicked the door off its hinges in rage. Her hair was in a comical condition, literally sticking out in all directions in a result of how soundly she slept every night.

"What's your _problem_, Sugar Queen!? The sun's barely up in the sky, and I was sleeping just fine until _you_ shrieked out loud to your boyfriend."

Katara instantly felt blood rise up to her cheeks. She wanted so badly to make a smart retort and explain to Toph for the thousandth time that Aang was _not_ her boyfriend, but she somehow felt that trying to convince herself that would just make things worse. "I'm sorry, Toph, I just had a nightmare. It won't happen again."

"Feh. It'd better not," was all Toph said as she turned around and strode out the door. Katara couldn't help but snicker as she heard Toph trip in an attempt to walk with dominance—the wooden floorboards didn't help Toph when it came to seeing.

"I _heard _that, Sugar Queen!" Toph yelled harshly, making Katara flinch. She heard her get up loudly and walk down the hallway once more, a tad more careful this time.

Katara sighed when everything was silent again. Looking out the window, she realized the sun was just barely creeping out from behind the mountains, lighting her room with a dim color that matched her mood. "At least it was Toph instead of Aang," she muttered quietly to herself, but stiffened as she realized Aang could still walk through the door and interrogate her.

When a few minutes passed and she was sure no one was stirring, she cautiously walked into the hallway. Katara knew it was quite early, but she didn't want to risk falling asleep and encountering a nightmare similar to the one she just had. She was a bit confused of why Aang hadn't come to see what was wrong; that was unusual for him. He was always the helpful one. _Especially when it came to helping me_, Katara realized.

As she passed by Aang's makeshift bedroom, she noticed the door was wide open. She risked peeking through the doorway, and was instantly relieved to find the room vacant. Everything was impeccably orderly—as it always was when it came to Aang.

Katara hadn't known until just now that she had begun to list characteristics of why she liked Aang in her head. This definitely was a reason: Aang was different from other guys because he always wanted everything clean. He was so neat with everything he owned and didn't allow his belongings to get lost, which was not an attribute of _Sokka_, she couldn't help but think vaguely. Aang was always so sweet and kind and helpful and caring and protective and sensitive and _handsome_ . . .

Katara shook her head as she realized she was getting carried away. Well, maybe not _carried away_ because all those things were true about Aang. Thinking about all the good features—not that there were any bad—of Aang got her thinking of how much she did love him. Maybe she hadn't loved him like he loved her in the past few months, only as a very good friend or brother . . . but when she knew how Aang felt about her, she understood that she may have actually _love_ loved him all along. She was frustrated she hadn't seen it before, but she cared about Aang so much and wanted him to be safe that she would hurt his feelings to have it so.

And that was the reason of why Katara said she was confused before. Maybe she didn't have a good excuse for her behavior last night, but it was gut instinct to say those words she said because nothing was more important to her at that moment than keeping him unharmed. Because she loved him. She wanted him safe. Getting involved in a relationship with him would distract him from what he really needed to be focusing on: mastering all four elements to confront the Firelord. Aang was actually so _dear _to her and he had changed her life for the better. When her mother died and her father went to fight in the war, everything became depressing and bleak. She didn't know the meaning of the word _fun_ anymore. Before she met him, everything was dull and any spirit that she might have had before was now absent.

Then, when she opened her eyes to see the good in the world for the first time since the death of her mother, her life instantly became brighter. Katara understood that things didn't immediately have to go gray if something didn't turn out exactly how you wanted it to. The death of her mother might have been meant to happen. Her meeting Aang might have also been meant to happen, it was her _destiny_. Meeting and falling in love with the Avatar, the one being in the whole world who was destined to save humanity and restore world peace . . . that could possibly work out, too. _Destiny is a strange thing_, she thought. _But I can make it how I want it to be_.

This was obviously what her nightmare was trying to tell her, too. Or at least, she thought it was. She had to love Aang as significantly as he loved her, for if she didn't, he would be out of her grasp before she knew it. Katara_ did_ love Aang as much as he loved her. Yes, she sure did. There was no doubt in her mind that this was true.

Thinking all these things over had only taken seven seconds, but in those short seven seconds, Katara had basically revealed the meaning of her life.

She couldn't help but smile as she opened her eyes to the now brightness of the sun, for she had made her way outside and was_ going _to change her life today, no matter what got in her way. She was _going _to confront Aang today and tell him that she loved him. Katara felt her stomach jump with glee as she thought these words she'd wanted to believe since last night; because now, they were actually true. Katara no longer felt hesitant about doing this, because she knew how she felt about Aang now. How she had felt about him for so long but hadn't come to realize until just now.

As she took a big breath of fresh, Fire Nation morning air, she noticed a sudden light blue glow towards the beachfront. It dwindled in the air and was gone in an instant. Out of alarm more than curiosity, Katara slowly made her way down the steps of the balcony towards the dark blue sea laid out in front of her. She blinked hard as she realized she was hopeful Aang would be down there to greet her. Her heart stopped in her chest for half a second, then pounded again more furiously than usual. Her breathing now came out quick and jagged, and was full of nervousness.

_This shouldn't be that hard_, she argued with herself. _I know he feels the same way about me, so everything should work out._

Thinking about this, she actually tripped down the stairs in excitement and impatience. She hastily picked herself up and rubbed the elbow she had fallen on. She got butterflies as she thought about this: Aang actually loved _her_, a lowly Southern Watertribe girl that didn't stand out in significance anywhere as far as she was aware. The _Avatar_, the one being that was destined to save the world from evil . . . the last Airbender, one of the only people that was significant throughout the whole world—well, he loved her. Her! Katara couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten. Or was it luck? She shook her head in embarrassment as she thought that. How could any of this just be _luck_? Right now, she was surer that all of these happenings were destiny more than anything else in the whole entire world.

She attempted to suck in a big breath of air before she continued toward the Fire Nation sea, but it just ended up sounding choked and uneven. Giving up on that, Katara slowly stepped off the last stair onto the sand below. She nearly shuddered convulsively as she realized just how cold it was. She probably should have been used to coldness for she had lived in the South Pole most her life, but after staying in the Fire Nation for so long, she expected everything to be at least warm. Then again, the sand was currently covered in thick shade so that was probably what made the ground so freezing.

Katara sighed in contentment as her mind drifted to the beautiful surroundings on this particular beach. Every tree on this part of the island was very dark green with a touch of blue; almost teal. The heavy leaves on the tall parts of plantation hardly moved an inch as a warm breeze blew. Small fire lilies covered the ground along the edges of the path. Although they looked crusty, brown, and dead, Katara still enjoyed the fact that such beautiful flowers could bloom—even if for only a few weeks a year—in such a seemingly horrid place such as the Fire Nation.

Ignoring the skyrocketing jump her heart made in her chest as she finally saw the ocean clearly, Katara continued onwards with fragile hopes. She couldn't wait any longer to reveal her deepest feelings to Aang. Aang, for crying out loud! The one boy she loved in such a way that would be impossible with any other case. _Well, he's not exactly a _boy_ anymore_, she pondered passionately. _He's really actually a young man_.

Suddenly, Katara heard a quiet, sorrowful sigh and averted her eyes to where a personage lay carelessly on the shore of the beach not more than thirty yards away. Instantly, her feet stopped in their tracks and her stomach felt strangled inside her body as she recognized the familiar bald head and light blue tattoos. She very nearly called out his name, but she thought she'd take a different approach in this case. Clearing her throat very quietly so that he would not hear her just yet, Katara forced her legs to move in Aang's general direction.

When she was sure it could have been possible for him to notice her presence, she cleared her throat a bit more loudly, but not loud enough to sound rude. Surprisingly, Aang's head didn't move a fraction of a centimeter to acknowledge her. She sighed as she realized she probably deserved being ignored. Taking a few more cautious steps to be less than three feet away from his arm—which was currently spread out behind his head—Katara tentatively sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees, burying her chin within. She risked facing him, and she sighed when she saw his open eyes which were directed at the sky above, not her.

Katara was instantly wary when several minutes passed and Aang didn't make any noticeable movement besides blink occasionally. She understood that this was her cue to being speaking, because Aang surely wasn't going to any time soon. Clearing her throat one last time, she began.

"A-Aang. Um." Determined, she continued, "Aang, please talk to me. Or at least listen. _Please_." His eyebrows pulled up worriedly, and he finally sat up as though his neck was made up jelly. It seemed he forced his mouth into a smile as he faced Katara, but nevertheless, it was definitely full of love.

"I'll listen to anything you have to say, Katara. Anything at all."

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**A/N: BUWAHAHA. Cliff hanger. Kind of. Hope you don't mind. Aw, they both love each other but Aang's the only one that doesn't know it yet! Anyways, please review . . . I welcome constructive criticism but not flaming! Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll have the third chapter up here shortly. Hopefully. :3**


	3. Something New

**I apologize for taking forever on uploading this chapter! I know I told some of you I'd have it up the 26****th**** of February, but, as you can see . . . that didn't happen. :P I was partly lazy, partly busy the past few weeks. If I said that I tried my hardest getting this up here, I'd be pitifully lying. **

**But, without further ado! Behold; the third chapter to my first story, **_**What Hurts The Most**_**, in which things will get more interesting! Or more Kataangy, which I define as the same thing. This chapter's not as long or as depressing as the other two, though I doubt you'd notice if I didn't just tell you. In fact, it's so fluffy, it made me laugh when I reread it. XD**

**And, yes, it is the last chapter to this story. No worries, though; I plan on getting more stories up soon. (Feh, we'll see how long that takes . . .) It kind of switches point of views every once in a while, so I hope that doesn't confuse any of you.**

**P.S. To refresh your memory on what's going on, I advise that you read the last few paragraphs of the previous chapter. If there's no need for that, then that's good for you!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, obviously. Oh, joy, we have something in common.**_

**Enjoy! ^^**

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Chapter Three: Something New

Aang had no clue where this was going. All he knew right now was that he wanted to talk to Katara more than anyone else in the world right now, so he'd be willing to do anything for her sake.

"I'll listen to anything you have to say, Katara. Anything at all."

This was one hundred percent true. Aang did love Katara more than anyone in the world, and she was the most significant person in his life right now. If she had something to say, it was automatically important no matter what it was.

She was very animated for some reason Aang could not see; after all, he was sure the previous night hadn't left either of them what you'd call _chipper_. As he looked deeper into her eyes, though, he noticed that sadness was still bubbling under the surface, but it was a different kind than what he would've expected. She didn't seem to be sad for the same reason she seemed to be last night . . . no, it was completely different, although it was quickly diminishing as she stared back into Aang's light gray eyes.

"I-well, I . . . sort of had a nightmare last night, Aang." He noticed she began to nibble her bottom lip nervously as she waited for his response.

Aang was surprised at this. He wouldn't have thought that he would be the first person she'd go to at this moment with something like that. He sincerely replied in a quiet voice, "I'm so sorry to hear that." When she continued biting her lip and looked down at her knees, he tried again. "Um . . . is it something you wanna talk about, or . . .?" He instantly hit a nerve with that sentence, for she looked up slowly into his eyes again and opened her mouth to speak. It took a few seconds for words to come out of it.

"Well, yeah, actually. Kind of. I mean—" Katara seemed to be struggling to find some kind of explanation. "I don't really want to go into details . . ." At this, she blushed a deep color of crimson; Aang couldn't imagine why. "It just made me realize something_ really_ important, something that involves you. Something that I should have realized a long time ago but was too oblivious and selfish to see."

Aang continued to stare at her, more confused than ever. "Where . . . exactly are you . . . going with this, Katara?" he spoke slowly.

Katara blinked, and her mouth instantly curled up into a smile. A soft, passionate smile. She turned her body so that she was completely facing Aang, and put her hands on the ground beside her. They seemed to itch with some kind of wanting, as though she'd rather have her hands somewhere else.

"About last night . . ." she began. Bringing up last night made Aang unintentionally look away towards the sea. "I need you to understand that I wasn't honest about what I said—about being confused, I mean."

_What? _ Aang tried not to look desperate as he allowed his gaze to slowly turn back to Katara. He was still as perplexed as before, if not more. _What in the world does she mean by that?_ He hardly dared to think in the direction he wanted to, because she couldn't possibly be talking about _that_—could she?

Katara sucked in a tremendous breath of air, and significantly cleared her throat before continuing. "Aang, I am so, _so_ sorry I said what I did. I'm so sorry I didn't see before that you—y'know, felt that way. About me." It was now impossible for Aang to avoid Katara's gaze, because he was beginning to catch on where this might be headed.

Nevertheless, he forced himself to interrupt just as she was about to speak again. "It's okay, Katara . . . really, it is." He smiled a comforting smile as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. "I shouldn't have avoided telling you for so long. I shouldn't have just k-_kissed_ you . . . at the invasion . . . and then flown away as though nothing happened. I should've discussed this with you sooner." Aang couldn't help but frown as he realized just how stupid he'd been. "So don't think it's your fault, Katara, because it's not. It's mine. Anything you're attempting to apologize for, though, I forgive you completely of. It's okay, Katara." He was surprised as she looked hard into his eyes, tears now streaming freely down her face. She gripped the edge of her thighs as she leaned in closer, eyes narrowed.

"No, Aang, it's _not_ okay. Do you hear me? I won't ever be able to forgive myself for what I did to you unless I tell you what I've been meaning to tell you." Katara's face suddenly turned desperate, and she scooted a whole two feet closer to Aang, who blushed as he noticed the position they were both in. They were facing each other fully—Aang cross-legged and Katara kneeling—and their faces were less than a foot away. Aang didn't dare move; he wanted to know what Katara had to say, and to encourage her in any way he could. She seemed to_ want _to be close to him, and this made Aang's heart do an excited flip in his chest.

"Tell me what it is you have to say, Katara. You can tell me anything you want, and I'll listen to every single word, just like I said." His voice came out hardly more than a whisper.

Katara's cheeks were suddenly a lovely color of pink, her eyes and facial expression softening. She wiped away the stale tears that marked her beautiful face, and her lips formed a lovely half-smile. "You must understand that everything I've ever done for you or done _to_ you was all out of protection and love. Protection and love for _you_. I've never wanted any harm to come to you . . . I've always wanted the best for you, and I still do, Aang. And I always will."

Aang's breath caught in his throat as she reached across her lap to hold his hands in hers. They were so cold, missing some kind of vital warmth that Katara seemed to be aware of as she kept her hands in the same position for a few seconds. Aang didn't risk moving at all, other than wrapping his hands around hers in consolation. She closed her eyes slowly as though savoring his touch, and prolonged her little speech.

"It took me a while to come to this realization, Aang, and I should have known it a long time ago. The bad dream I had last night kind of helped me . . . _actualize _what has been true all along." It was probably the worst time to be impatient, but that's what Aang was at the moment. He did listen to every single word that came out of her mouth, but he couldn't help but wish she'd get on with it. The reason for that was because he was now sure of where Katara meant to go with this, and he was so overjoyed he could hardly breathe. He continued to stare into her eyes that didn't stray from his face as though they were glued in place.

"The truth is, Aang—you're more important to me than anyone in the world right now. The most important to me _ever_. The reason for that is because, well . . ." The soft look on her face instantly turned to determination and amour as four quiet, yet earnest words left her mouth.

"I love you, Aang."

Aang's eyes widened as he took in what Katara had just said. Katara, the love of his life. Katara, the girl who loved him. _Loved_ him. Loved _him!_

He continued to stare stupidly at her beautiful face as all of this information came crashing down on him like raining fire balls; but this information was nothing near to harsh burning. No, this left him feeling light and free and warm inside, as though he could take off to the skies at that second and not live in fear of ever falling. Aang would never have to worry about falling ever again, because Katara loved him! More than that—she felt the same way that he felt about her. He'd never have to worry about keeping his emotions inside himself anymore; he wouldn't even have to worry about thinking of clever excuses of why he always blushed when she came close to him, when she kissed his cheek, when she hugged him. Nothing would ever bother him ever again when it came to his love for Katara. Because now, she loved him the same way back. And now, it seemed as though everything in the world were possible, and that nothing like concealing feelings and love for her would ever get in the way.

Aang was only vaguely aware of the fact that his mouth stood agape, and that the expression on Katara's face instantly turned to worry and confusion after he didn't answer for quite a few seconds. What in the world was he doing? _Say something now, you idiot!_ was what he hissed at himself in his mind.

"I . . . u-umm." He stared at her frantically as though it were only a matter of time before she slapped his face and walked away. Even so, he couldn't help but smile an enormously goofy smile that probably continued to make him look like a fool. "Katara . . . y-you _do_?" She didn't say anything, but nodded quickly a few times, obviously pleased by his response as her smile grew as well. "You have absolutely _no_ idea how long I've wanted you to say that," Aang continued quietly.

His heart nearly stopped in his chest as he felt Katara's hands grow warmer in his own, and he held them tightly but not too tight; he'd never wanted to let go of her now that he knew the truth. But he did allow her to let go of one hand as she slowly reached up to lay her fingers on the back of his neck with the most intimate of touches. "I think I have a pretty good idea," she murmured insistently.

Aang shivered from delight as he felt her breath getting warmer and warmer on his face as she leaned in closer, prolonging the moment. He could tell her love for him was so strong, that he nearly _felt_ it in all parts of his body like a static charge as she continued to incline her head forward, her lips getting ever so closer to his own. Aang tried to act languid as he eased his way forth also—though he wanted more than anything to put his mouth on hers as quickly as possible. He could feel her breath mingled in his own, so sweet and precious that he willingly breathed it in.

Just centimeters away now, Katara whispered, "And I know you won't mind this."

Her lips then softly pressed against Aang's with impossibly endless intimacy. He thought kissing her was exhilarating before, but with her actually kissing him _back _. . . it was simply indescribable; _especially_ when her lips slowly parted, making Aang sigh in bliss.

After a few seconds, she broke away—leaving Aang disappointed—but the smile on her face instantly caused him to be thankful for everything that happened today, good or bad; because it left a brilliant result.

"Wow," Aang breathed when he could speak again.

Katara giggled quietly. "Wow, indeed," she replied a tad louder than either of them had been speaking the whole conversation. _And what a conversation it was_, Aang thought happily.

They smiled blissfully at each other for what seemed like several heavenly moments, when Aang couldn't resist but lean in less than two inches and peck Katara on the cheek with all the love in the world. He was surprised when he got a good look at her face again that she was frowning slightly.

"Katara, I just . . . I'm sorry, I—"

"You missed," Katara interrupted, her smile beginning to grow again.

"Um. Excuse me?" Aang replied, not being able to resist smiling back to a face like hers.

"You missed," she repeated. Before Aang had enough time to say or could do anything about it—not that he _wanted_ to—Katara caught his mouth with hers for the second time that evening, flinging her arms around his neck as though her very life depended on it—which caused Aang to fall backwards onto the warm sand. They both chuckled pleasantly against each other's lips, enjoying the closeness of their bodies.

Katara blushed immensely, though, when she realized she was lying on _top _of Aang's bare chest, her hands cradling his shoulders. She hastily scrambled off, and replanted herself onto the ground directly to the right of him, holding his hand tightly in hers. They looked sideways at each other, grins never leaving their face as the sun rose higher in the sky above them.

That was when Aang realized something very important. He felt the urge to smack himself for not saying it before, in a moment such as this which called for it the very most. He sat up slowly—bringing Katara with him—and gently positioned his forehead to lean against hers, closing his eyes.

Katara was confused by this happening, of course; though did not resist. She could see the desire to do something vibrantly emanating from his pink cheeks. "Aang . . . wha—" Suddenly she tasted Aang's lips against her own for the third time, cutting her off. Only when the two wouldn't have survived one more second without a breath of fresh air, did they finally break apart. Noses and foreheads touching, they panted heavily, eyes closed and mouths slightly open—less than centimeters away. Aang opened his eyes slowly, looking directly into her clear, blue pools that were open as well. When he had enough oxygen in his lungs to speak again, he said this:

"Katara, I just want you to know that I love you, too—more than anyone else in the world. You are the most important person to me. The most important person to me _ever_, and I love you," he murmured, nearly quoting Katara's exact words said just moments ago. He then chuckled softly. "Or did I already say that I love you? Oh, I guess that's three times now . . ." Aang's goofy smile slowly began to form; the smile Katara loved, and could more fully appreciate now.

An involuntary, yet joyful tear escaped her eye as she realized the impact Aang would have on her life from here on out. This day might have been the best one in her young life—and might stay that way for the rest of her years with Aang. _With Aang_, she found herself repeating over and over in her head. _With Aang . . . for the rest of my life . . . _

Her cheeks turned a lovely color of pink, from Aang's point of view, at least. Her mouth curled up into a large smile, and she embraced him tighter than necessary, her chin resting on his shoulder comfortably. He hugged back just as firmly, though maybe not as tight—never, _ever_ wanting to let her go.

"Oh, Aang . . ." she sighed weakly into his skin. It was quite unlike Katara to do _anything_ weakly, but this case was one outstanding exception. "You can tell me that you love me as many times as you want . . . I think I'll be able to live with it."

"Of course . . ." he replied, his voice distracted and gruff as his lips found hers again.


End file.
